Pocket cigarette machine



May 9, 1939.

E. HANSEN POCKET CIGARETTE MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 6. 1937frwesz Hansen m wyaw ll.

ATTORNEYS May 9, 1939. E. HANSEN POCKET CIGARETTE MACHINE Filed July 6,1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ernest Hansen ,wfin

ATTORNEYS Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFECE 2,157,605POCKET CIGARETTE MACHINE Ernest Hansen, Greenwich, Conn. ApplicationJuly 6, 1937, Serial No. 152,219

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved portable apparatus formanufacturing cigarettes and more particularly to an apparatus of thistype adapted to be conveniently carried in the pocket.

ferent types of tobacco commonly used in cigarette manufacture. To besatisfactory, a device of this nature should be easily alterable,preferably by variation in the compression exerted during rolling of thecigarette, whereby both cube and long cut tobacco, as well as tobaccosof different moisture contents can be readily and practically used.

It is an important feature of the device according to the presentinvention that means are provided whereby the compressive forcesutilized during rolling of the cigarette can be freely and materiallyaltered, thereby permitting the operator to vary the firmness or degreeof packing of the tobacco within the paper, whereby tobaccos of highlydissimilar characteristics can be feasibly utilized.

Another feature of the present invention lies in its simplicity wherebythe desired results are accomplished with the minimumnumber of movingelements. Furthermore, because of the arrangement of its members, it iseasily freed from dirt and bits of tobacco which normally accumulateduring operation.

A further feature is that the cigarettes manufactured by means of thedevice prepared according to the present invention have turned-in endpapers whereby discharge of loose or short tobacco fibres into the mouthof the user is minimized.

In one embodiment of the device according to the present invention,provision is made for the storage of cigarette papers and, if desired,of cigarettes, thereby making the device of even greater value to theuser.

The invention will be fully and comprehensively understood from aconsideration of the following detailed description when read inconnection with the accompanying drawings Which form part of theapplication.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a cigarette manufactured by means of thedevice according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the device according to the presentinvention.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View of the device and illustrating theinitial step of preparing a cigarette.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of Fig. 3 taken along he line (5-4.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of Fig. 3 taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig.

3 and representing the device during the making of cigarette, saidcigarette being partially com- 10 pleted; and Fig. 7 is a crosssectional View of Fig.

5 taken on a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cigarette in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, the device comprises a base member It! havingan undulated upper surface formed by a plurality of grooves disposedtherein substantially as shown, and a flexible apron or mat l l equal inwidth to the width of the of the base, which is permanently positionedin a recess #2 in the block I ll between certain of the undulationsthereof substantially as shown. The apron l I, which normally rests uponthe tops of the ridges in the undulated surface, is preferablyadhesively attached over the entire front and rear area of the uprightelement It, whereby a substantially unitary construction is formed whichis removably said apron being fixedly mounted as aforesaid. The uprightelement 13 is preferably formed of relatively hard material so that itsshape will not be substantially altered in use. Altho a form such asthat illustrated is preferred other shapes can be used but it isdesirable that the face [3a thereof present a substantially fiatsurface. The apron H in the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention is made of surfaced rubber or rubber-like material having afacing not readily affected by tobacco particles and to which tobaccoparticles will not normally adhere. Altho other substances can be usedto replace rubber, for example, parchment, surfaced fabrics and thelike, experience indicates that rubber is preferable for this purpose.The upright members l5 are 46 fixedly positioned in abuttingrelationship to the 'undulated base member If] and are provided, towardthe top thereof, with recesses generally designated as It which extendthruout their entire length. The cover H, which is preferably at- 50tached to the base member [0 by the hinge elements generally designatedas I8, is adapted to fit snugly over the ends of the said uprightmembers I5 and so to provide a substantially sealed closure for theapparatus- When the cover ll is closed the member I3 is not positionedupon the projection i l of the block It as shown in Fig. 3, but insteadis horizontally disposed upon the ridges of the member It. In operationthe supporting member i3 is positioned substantially as shown in Fig. 3upon the projection M of the base member Hi. When so dis- H is disposedsubstantially as shown. A cigarette paper generally designated as 28,the thickness of which is exaggerated for the purposes of illustrationin the drawings, is then positioned within the recesses [6 of the blocksl5 so that one end thereof is in the vicinity of the bend in the aprongenerally designated at I la. The tobacco to be used which can be eitherof cube or long cut is then evenly spread along the fold of the apronmember so that it is disposed in a uniform manner between the uprightmembers l3 and between the apron and the bend in the cigarette paperdesignated at 20a. The upright element i3 is then removed from itsmounting, tilted toward the front of the apparatus as indicated by thedotted lines in Fig. 3 until it has assumed a substantially horizontalposition or in other words is disposed in a plane substantially parallelto that of the base element Hi. When the elements are positioned in thismanner, pressure is exerted on each end of the upper surface of theelement l3 by positioning the thumbs and fingers in the mannerillustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 6 of the drawings whereby thetobacco 2| in the apron l l is forced into the recess generallydesignated at (but and while this compressive force by the thumbs ismaintained, the element 13 is advanced toward the front of the apparatusthereby imparting a rolling motion to the tobacco mass 2! and the paperit which has been forced into substantially the same plane as that ofthe mat. The undulations in the base member ID serve to materiallyfacilitate the formation of the cigarette during the rolling operationby assisting in disposing the tobacco and paper in a substantiallycylindrical shape. As the tobacco and paper are rolled forward the endsof the paper which were formerly positioned between the recesses l6 andthe blocks iii are turned in by said upright members to form a closedend 26 substantially as shown in Fig. 1. At the completion of theoperation the rolled cigarette, ready for gumming, is delivered in thefinal recess 25 and can then be removed for moistening the gummedportion and sealed in the usual and well known manner.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the space betweenthe upper part of the element l3 and the top of the box is provided forthe storage of cigarette papers prior to use or, if desirable, thisspace can be enlarged and utilized for the storage of cigarettes.

It is to be understood that this improvement is capable of extendedapplication and is not confined to the exact showing of the drawings norto the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes andmodifications may be made therein as do not affect the spirit of theinvention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a base having anundulated upper surface, a block removably positionable upon said base,an apron of relatively fiexible material, one edge of said apron beingsubstantially fixedly attached to said base, the opposite edge of saidapron being substantially fixedly attached to said block, and membersabutting against said base,

said members being channeled near the tops thereof, and means attachedto said base for covering the device when not in use.

2. A device of the character described comprising a base having anundulated upper surface, a block removably positionable on said basemember, an apron of relatively flexible material, one edge of said apronbeing substantially firmly attached to the undulated surface of saidbase near a side thereof and between two undulations, the opposite edgeof said apron being substantially fixedly attached to said block, andmembers abutting against said base, said members being channeled on oneface near the tops thereof, and means attached to said base for coveringthe device when not in use.

3. A device of the character described comprising a base having anundulated upper surface, a block removably positionable upon one side ofsaid base member in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane ofsaid base, an apron of relatively flexible material, one edge of saidapron being substantially fixedly attached to the undulated surface ofsaid base near a side thereof and between two undulations, the oppositeedge of said apron being substantially fixedly attached to said block,and members abutting against said base, said members being channeled onfaces thereof near the top, and means attached to said base for coveringthe device when not in use.

4.. A device of the character described comprising a base having anundulated upper surface, a block removably positionable upon one side ofsaid base member in a plane substantially perpendicular to of relativelyflexible material, one edge of said apron being substantially fixedlyattached to the undulated surface of said base near a side thereof andbetween two undulations, the opposite edge of said apron beingsubstantially fixedly attached r to said block, and members abuttingagainst and disposed substantially perpendicularly to the undulationsin. said base, said members being channeled on faces nearest theundulated portion of the base, and means attached to said base forcovering the device when not in use.

5. A device of the character described comprising a base having anundulated upper surface, a block removably positionable upon one side ofpendicular to the plane of said base, an apron of relatively flexiblematerial, one edge of said apron being substantially firmly attached tothe undulated surface of said base near a side thereof and between twoundulations, the opposite edge of said apron being substantially fixedlyattached to said block, and members abutting against and disposedsubstantially perpendicularly to the undulations in said base, saidmembers being channeled on faces nearest the undulated portion of thebase, said channels being disposed in a plane substantially above theplane including the tops of the undulation in the base, and meansattached to said base for covering the device when not in use.

6. A device of the character described comprising a base having anundulated upper surface, a block removably positionable upon one side ofsaid base member in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane ofsaid. base, an apron of relatively flexible material, almost equal inwidth to the width of the undulated portion of said base, one edge ofsaid apron being substantially fixedly attached to the undulated surfaceof said base near a side thereof and between two the plane of said base,an apron plane substantially perundulations, the opposite edge of saidapron being substantially fixedly attached to said block, and

and disposed substana side thereof and between two opposite edge of saidapron being substantially fixedly attached said base near ERNEST HANSEN.

tially firmly attached to the undulated surface of

